Whilst
not a singing cast of the highest international standard this is
particularly welcome for the opportunity to hear a rarely performed
late period Donizetti opera. Full of the kind of melodic invention
that could flow from his pen even when not fully inspired by the
libretto ... see Full
Review

Of
considerable interest but these discs are not more pleasurable
to listen to than those made by various pianists who have tackled
Scarlatti’s works and made their own interpretive decisions … see Full
Review

Off
the beaten track this may be, but anyone who for some reason has
left the main road on some occasion will know that there are very
often landscapes of enormous beauty to investigate. This is such
a landscape! ... see Full Review

The
playing is fantastic and always committed
and vitally, the depth and feeling of Ireland’s
music is communicated to the listener through
every note ... see Full
Review

John
IRELAND (1879-1962)The
Songs CD 1 Songs of a Wayfarer; When Lights go
rolling round the sky; Hope the Hornblower; Sea
Fever; Marigold; Five Poems by Thomas Hardy; Three
Songs; We’ll to the Woods no more CD 2 Two Songs; Songs
Sacred & Profane; Five XVIth Century Songs; Blow
out you Bugles; If there were Dreams to sell; I
have twelve Oxen; Spring Sorrow; The Bells of
San Marie; The Journey; The merry month of May; Vagabond; When
I am dead my dearest; Santa Chiara; Great Things; If
we must part; Tutto e sciolto CD 3 Songs for
Tenor: The Heart’s desire; The sacred flame; Remember; Hawthorne
Time; The East Riding; Love is a sickness full
of woes; The Land of Lost Content; Two SongsSongs
for Contralto: The three Ravens; Bed in Summer; Mother & Child; Earth’s
Call; Three Arthur Symons Songs; What art thou
thinking of?; Three Thomas Hardy Songs Benjamin
Luxon (baritone) (CD1; CD2); John Mitchinson (tenor) (CD3);
Alfreda Hodgson (contralto) (CD3); Alan Rowlands (piano) rec.
Smith Square, London August 1972, July 1973, November 1973
(CD1; CD2); August 1978 (CD3). ADD Full song texts in English
only LYRITA
SRCD.2261 [3 CDs: 61:26 + 58:08 + 64:10] [RB]

Ireland's
artistry as a songwriter has never been presented with such mastery
... see Full Review

Three
late romantic symphonies by a romantic master.
The merits are accentuated by the excellent
notes, the glories of analogue engineering,
by Downes’ grip on the Fourth Symphony and
by the thoughtfully attractive price ... see
Full Review

Reviews
from previous monthsJoin the mailing list and receive a hyperlinked weekly update on the
discs reviewed. detailsWe welcome feedback on our reviews. Please use the Bulletin
Board
Please paste in the first line of your comments the URL of the review to
which you refer.